Use of Wigglesworth classification for the assessment of perinatal mortality in Bangladesh--a preliminary study.

The Wigglesworth pathophysiological classification was used to analyse perinatal deaths occurring in 5 health centres in Bangladesh. The aims were to assess the feasibility of this classification, to determine the causes of perinatal deaths and thereby to identify the areas in need of intervention. A total of 8058 births were recorded at 5 centres during the period of 11 months from mid-January to mid-December 2001. There were 1069 deaths in the perinatal period. Stillbirths were slightly more frequent (53.5%) than early neonatal deaths (46.5%). Among the stillbirths, fresh stillbirths predominated over normally formed macerated ones at all centers except BIRDEM, where the majority (52.5%) was macerated. The majority (71.6%) of perinatal deaths were in the groups comprising asphyxial conditions (46.8%), conditions associated with immaturity (13.3%), and normally formed macerated stillbirths (NFMSB, 11.5%). In the group, 'other specific conditions' which was responsible for 9.3% of perinatal deaths, all but one case was attributed to sepsis. When the cases were subdivided by birth groups, asphyxia predominated in all but the <1000g group, in whom immaturity was responsible. Conditions associated with immaturity were second highest in number. The majority of the perinatal deaths (83.4%) was in babies less than 2500g. The study has shown that the Wigglesworth classification can be used in different types of health facilities in Bangladesh by doctors, nurses and midwives. The areas which need intervention are antepartum care, obstetric and newborn care practices, and environmental factors responsible for the high prevalence of prematurity and low birth weight.

Occipital osteodiastasis in Jamaica

The Jamaican Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Survey (1986 - 1987) revealed nine cases of a previously unreported form of birth-related injury in the English-speaking Caribbean - occipital osteodiastasis. Aspects of the clinical and pathological features of this form of occipital bone injury are presented and discussed. Our findings suggest that this lesion might occur more often than is currently accepted.

Operaçåo a fórcipe: repercussöes neonatais precoces / Forceps delivery: immediate neonatal morbidity

Objetivando avaliar as repercussöes neonatais precoces da operaçåo a fórcipe, compararam-se 979 partos a fórcipe em gestaçåo a termo com 937 partos transpélvicos nåo operatórios, ocorridos na Maternidade do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, entre maio de 1968 e abril de 1991. As parturientes nåo apresentavam antecedentes de partos vaginais ou intercorrências clínicas ou obstétricas. A mortalidade neonatal precoce, o número de toecotraumatismos, o tempo de internaçåo e a freqüência de intercorrências durante a internaçåo nåo diferiram em ambos os grupos. Excluídos os casos de sofrimento fetal agudo, nåo se verificou diferença referente à vitabilidade neonatal. O índice de Apgar inferior a 7 no quinto minuto foi mais freqüente no grupo de partos espontâneos. Houve apenas maior freqüência de pressåo neonatal e tocotraumatismo nos partos a fórcipe médio-baixo, embora tenham ocorrido em pequeno número de casos e se mostrando de pouca gravidade. Conclui-se que as repercussöes neonatais imediatas do parto a fórcipe nåo constituem impedimento para a criteriosa utilizaçåo do instrumento